Advocates Across Canada Launch Call for National Long-Term Care Standards
OTTAWA, March 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health care advocates including thousands of families; residents and their substitute decision makers; care workers, professionals, nurses and their unions have come together to release a legal opinion on what national standards for long-term care should be.
For decades, health care advocates have called for a more robust and effective federal role to ensure that we meet the needs of the elderly as Canada’s population ages. COVID-19 has laid bare the endemic and longstanding failure of many long-term care homes to provide residents with a safe and healthful environment, and with essential and high-quality care.
While some provinces, notably those in Atlantic Canada, acted quickly to protect the vulnerable in congregate care settings, other provinces have failed to do so. Canadians have been horrified by accounts from the military, families, residents and staff, of the horrendous circumstances in which thousands of seniors were forced to live, and far too often, die. These systemic failures have prompted calls from across Canada for the federal government to increase funding and establish national standards for long-term care.
Federal political parties have responded by making commitments to national standards, but what they would contain is not clear.
| WHAT: | A lawyer representing health care advocates will be joined by families and advocates of long-term care to release a legal opinion on national standards for long-term care. |
| WHEN: | Monday, March 22 at noon 12p.m. Eastern Time by Zoom. Media are invited to join by Zoom at the following link https://zoom.us/j/92097415287?pwd=akRTMy9vL082cTdmcXRmVVNNWGNKUT09 |
| Meeting ID: 920 9741 5287 | |
| Passcode: 650419 | |
| WHO: | Steven Shrybman is a partner at the law firm Goldblatt Partners LLP, and has for many years represented and provided legal advice to Canadian advocates working to defend and strengthen Canada’s medicare system. He also has been co-counsel in two landmark constitutional cases that sought, unsuccessfully, to overturn single-tier medicare in Canada. |
| Steven Staples, National Director of Policy & Advocacy, Canadian Health Coalition Catherine Parkes, spokesperson, Canadians4LTC Chris Parsons, Provincial Coordinator, Nova Scotia Health Coalition Mary Boyd, Chair, PEI Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, Executive Director, Ontario Health Coalition Brianne Goertzen, Provincial Director, Manitoba Health Coalition Sandra Azocar, Executive Director, Friends of Medicare (Alberta) Mary Clarke, President, Health Coalition of Newfoundland & Labrador |
For more information: Steven Staples 343-777-6283; Catherine Parkes 416-523-1733;
Chris Parsons 902-880-8628; Mary Boyd 902-892-9074; Natalie Mehra 416-230-6402;
Brianne Goertzen 431-337-2527; Sandra Azocar 780-906-6884; Mary Clarke, 709-687-1960.
